"You don't have to speak so loud. I can hear you just fine."
For Barry, sending his voice directly into someone's mind was a trivial trick.
Jamie glanced around to make sure no one was paying attention to her. Then she tucked the little doll back at her waist and whispered her question:
"I'm in danger? How come I don't know that?"
"Did you forget the dream you had? The man in the mask—Michael—he's coming. And he's coming for you."
"For me?" Jamie blinked her big, innocent eyes, completely confused.
"He's your uncle. He's coming to kill you. You must've heard about what he's done over the years."
"We're… family, aren't we? Why would he…"
Jamie couldn't understand. Family ties were supposed to mean love and laughter—why had it turned into something so horrifying?
She just didn't get it.
"I don't know all the answers yet," Barry said, "but you'll understand one day. For now, don't overthink it. Evil never stays hidden forever. After tonight, everything will become clear."
He told Jamie not to worry too much, just to do what he said for now. Whatever she didn't understand could wait until she was older.
Then Barry picked out a costume for her—a black Spider-themed suit with a Venom-style mask, fangs and all.
Once everything was ready, all they could do was wait for Michael to appear.
As the sun dipped below the horizon and night deepened, the small town came alive with Halloween excitement.
After dinner, it was officially the kids' favorite time of the year.
Jamie put on her Venom outfit, and with her older sister Rachel by her side, headed out the door.
"Let's go!"
A child was a child, after all—within minutes Jamie had thrown herself into the festive chaos, going door to door shouting, "Trick or treat!" with a smile that could light up the night.
Along the way, she met other kids. Her sleek, dark costume quickly drew everyone's attention.
"Whoa, that's so cool!"
Three minutes later, their group arrived at the sheriff's house.
When the door opened, Rachel unexpectedly ran into her boyfriend—the one person she didn't expect to see there. It was like an invisible bucket of cold water poured over her head. She awkwardly stepped aside.
Meanwhile, Jamie followed the rest of the kids down the street… and before long, she and Rachel had gotten separated.
Without realizing it, Jamie wandered farther and farther away, down a quieter, lonelier stretch of road.
At the same time—
Dr. Loomis, Michael's old nemesis, had just learned that the vehicle transporting Michael to another hospital had crashed. He raced straight to town to warn the police.
And sure enough—Michael was back. He'd already been to Jamie's house. The missing family photos and the dead golden retriever were proof enough.
He was back.
Dr. Loomis hadn't been wrong.
At the town's power station, the man in the white mask had appeared. He killed the workers there, tossed their bodies onto the high-voltage lines, and plunged the entire town into darkness.
Darkness—Michael's favorite hunting ground.
Jamie, without any lights to guide her, found herself in a strange, deserted area.
She felt uneasy, her instincts whispering that someone was watching her.
Was it just her imagination?
The trees rustled. Leaves whispered in the cold wind.
Shhhh…
No. It couldn't be. It couldn't be him—her uncle.
She was completely hidden in her costume! There was no way anyone—let alone him—could recognize her. Even her own mother wouldn't have known it was her.
But the faint sounds made Jamie's heart race. She couldn't help but whisper, "Uncle Barry… I'm scared."
Her voice trembled as she backed away toward the side of the road. Instinctively, she reached for the little straw doll on her belt—
And froze.
It was gone!
"What? When did I lose it?!"
All her courage vanished at once, like a superhero realizing they'd forgotten their power-up device at home.
Jamie screamed and turned to run.
"Jamie!"
A familiar voice called out from the distance. Footsteps pounded closer—it was her sister, Rachel. After realizing Jamie was missing, she'd searched frantically and finally found her.
The two ran to each other, relief flooding their faces, and hugged tightly.
"Rachel, Jamie—thank God you're safe," a man's voice said.
The local sheriff had arrived, pulling up in his patrol car. Two people got out: the sheriff himself and Dr. Loomis.
"What happened?" Rachel asked, knowing from their tense expressions that they were there for her and Jamie.
"No time to explain. Get in the car," the sheriff ordered.
But then—something unexpected happened.
From around the corner of a nearby house, a figure appeared. A man in a white mask, standing motionless, staring right at them.
No… it couldn't be—
Michael Myers.
"Is that him?" the sheriff asked. "Is that him?"
Dr. Loomis's face turned grim. After a long moment, he nodded.
Both men raised their guard instantly.
Then, from the corner of his eye, the sheriff caught movement—another masked figure, on the opposite side of the street.
He raised his gun slightly. Dr. Loomis turned to look—and froze.
Footsteps sounded behind them. The sheriff spun around—
A third masked man stood there.
What the hell?
Three Michaels?!
Dr. Loomis felt his head about to explode. Having fought Michael multiple times before, he knew exactly how dangerous the real one was. He flicked the safety off.
No more talking—it was time to shoot.
He aimed his gun at the first masked man—
But suddenly, the figure pulled off his mask and laughed.
"Whoa, chill, bro! It's just a prank!"
The guy grinned, turned, and walked off. The other two followed suit, pulling off their masks and laughing as they ran away.
"Damn it!" the sheriff cursed. "Bunch of stupid kids pulling pranks like this—you're lucky you didn't just get yourselves killed!"
If they'd run into someone jumpier, those idiots would've been shot dead on the spot.
Inside the car, Jamie and Rachel both let out shaky sighs of relief.
The tension had been unbearable. For a moment, they'd really believed Michael was back—and that he'd somehow learned how to clone himself.
"Let's go," the sheriff said. "We'll take them to the station—somewhere safe."
He climbed back into the car, about to drive off—
Bang!
The door swung open.
Jamie slipped past her sister and stepped out, turning toward a stretch of road swallowed by darkness.
"Jamie, get back in the car!"
"Kid, what are you doing?"
Jamie adjusted her Venom mask so it fit tighter against her face. Her voice came out hoarse but steady:
"I've got my own rhythm."
Tack… tack… tack…
Under the silver moonlight, another figure appeared on the empty road—
A man in a white mask.
But this time, it was real.
Because Barry could feel it—the aura of pure evil.
"So, you've come to kill me… Uncle."
Wrapped in her black costume, Jamie felt courage surge through her veins. She stood her ground, fearless, staring straight ahead.